Philippine Journal of Science
153 (4): 1305-1314, August 2024
ISSN 0031 – 7683
Date Received: 10 Jan 2024
Comparative Analysis of Different Forest Fire Susceptibility Models in Benguet, the Philippines
Cindy E. Poclis1*, Cristino L. Tiburan Jr.2, Diomedes A. Racelis2, Roberto G. Visco2, Marco A. Galang2, and Jayric F. Villareal1
1College of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Mindanao State University Maguindanao, Dalican, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao 9601 the Philippines 2Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031 the Philippines
*Corresponding author: cepoclis@msumaguindanao.edu.ph
Poclis C et al. 2024. Comparative Analysis of Different Forest Fire Susceptibility Models in Benguet, the Philippines. Philipp J Sci 153(4): 1305–1314. https://doi.org/10.56899/153.04.05
ABSTRACT
Fire is a common threat to forests in our country. It is usually uncontrolled and consumes the natural fuels of the forest, affecting both the vegetation and the soil. In the Philippines, forest fires are mostly frequent in regions with naturally occurring vegetation that is highly susceptible to forest fire, and one of them is the Cordillera Administrative Region. This study was conducted to [1] determine forest fire occurrences in Benguet province, [2] generate forest fire hazard maps using three indices [structural fire index (SFI), fire risk index (FRI), and hybrid fire index (HFI)], and [3] recommend potential forest management strategies to reduce fire susceptibility or manage fire occurrence in the province. NDMI, elevation, slope, aspect, distance from roads, and vicinity to settlements were the influencing factors used in the occurrence of forest fires. Moreover, forest fire occurrences in the province were collected from DENR records. Results revealed that from 2019–2021, a total of 90 forest fire incidents were observed in the area. In terms of the indices, results showed that maps using HFI and FRI revealed better results than the SFI model. Furthermore, there were forest fire incidences that coincided with the FRI model, particularly in those areas identified as having high and very high susceptibility ratings. Keywords: fire risk index, forest fire, hybrid fire index, moisture index, normalized difference, structural fire index